Combination cooling and fluid heating unit



July 31, 1951 F. J. SMITH ETAL COMBINATION CQOLING AND FLUID HEATING UNIT 2 Sheets--SheeI Filed July 22, 1949 JNVENTORS. @Af/7W, 'ma .swf/7W,

July 31, 1951 F. J. SMITH ET AL COMBINATION COOLING AND FLUID HEATING UNIT Filed July 2 2. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 afen'toc Joly 31; 1951 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION COGLING AND FLUID HEATING UNIT Francis J. smith and Woodrow W. smith,

Miami,

Fla. l

Application July 22, 1949, Serial No. 106,2'1'8` 2 Claims. (C1. 219-39) room, or to provide heating of the room when required.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved packaged ventilation and heating unit adapted to provide ventilation and cooling by circulation of air from outside a room or dwelling space, or alternatively to heat the room `or space and to maintain said room or space at a predetermined temperature.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims,`and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken through an improved combination cooling or heating unit constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal crosssectional view taken through a portion of the electrical water-heating element employed with the unit of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged front end elevationa view of the heating element of Figure 3 Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional View taken through the wall of a room showing a typical installation of the improved cooling and heating unit of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the unit comprises a rectangular housing II provided at its rear Wall with a screen I2 and provided at its front wall with the horizontally-pivoted transverse louvers I3 which are freely hinged to swing outwardly when the air pressure builds up inside the housing and to allow air to exhaust therefrom. However, the lower marginal portions of the louvers cannot swing counterclockwise from their closed positions-shown in Figure l, since said lower marginal portions come into abutment with the upper marginal portions of subadjacen louvers.

Rotatably mounted in the housing is a shaft I4 carrying at its forward end the fan blades I5. Secured on the rear end of shaft I4 is a 2 pulley I 6 on which is mounted a belt I1 driven by an electric motor I8 secured to the top wall of the housing. Motor vI8 is of the reversible type and is connected by a suitable circuit, not shown, which includes a reversing switch, t0 a suitable,`

.power source. p

The bottom of the housing II comprises a` radiator I9 provided with the water coils 20, suitable radiating fins being mounted on the coils. Air may' iiowA through radiator I9 in either an upward or a downward direction. Designated at 2l is a settable thermostatically-controlled electric water heater having an intake conduit 22 connected to the bottom coil of the radiator I9 Aand an outlet conduit- 23 connected to the top lix contained in a tubular chamber 28 extending into the housing 24. One terminal of heater winding 25 is connected to a stationary contact 29 located in chamber 26 adjacent the free end of bimetallic arm 2l. `The `other end of arm 21 is connected to a wire `30. The remaining terminal of heater winding 25 is connected to a Wire 3|'. Movement of the free end of thermostat arm 21 away from contact 29 is controlled by a manually-adjustable stop screw 32 provided with an external setting arm 33. The thermo stat arm 21 will move outV of contact with element 29 when the temperature inside the heater housing 24 risesbeyond av value determined by the setting of arm 33.

Wires `3l) and 3l are connected to a suitable power source, and may include in series therewith a room thermostat switch, such asshown at 34 in Figure`5.

The radiator I9 is provided with an expansion chamber 35 to allow for expansion of the heating unit during the heating cycle. Said radiator is also .provided with a relief Valve 36 allowing steamto escape from the radiator coils in case of overheating ofthe water therein.

Referring to Figure 5, the unit may be mounted in the wall 31 of a building with therscreen I2 flush withthe'iiisidewall'suriace Aof a-room. The

wall 31 is provided below the unit with a register 3B which may include an air filter 39. A suitable air duct 40 is employed to connect the bottom of housing II with the register 38.

Designated at 4I is a two-way switch of conventional construction mounted on a wall oi the room and connected in circuit with the motor I8. The switch has the push buttons 42 and 43. Push button 42 controls energization of the motor I8 in one direction, while button 43 controls energizetion of said motor in the opposite direction. Actuation of push button 43 causes motor I8 to drive the fan blades I clockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, causing air to be drawn from the room through screen I2 and to be exhausted outwardly through the louvers I3. By opening a window or door in the room, fresh air will be drawn into the room, providing air circulation and cooling of. the room. A certain amount of the air isreciroulated by moving into housing I I through screen I2, downwardly through duct 40. and back-into the room through register 38. This recirculation increases the cooling of the room by Causing air to move from the floor of the room upwardly toward the ceiling.

Actuation of push button 42 causes motor` I8 to be driven in the opposite direction. Push button 42 may also be employed to actuate a suitable switch to control the energizing circuit of the heater winding I5 in conjunction with the thermostat switch 34 and theheater contact elements 21 and 29. The fan blades I5 now rotate counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure 2. Under these conditions air is driven out of housing I I into the room through screen I2, reducing the pressure in the housing, whereby louvers I3 remain closed.

Air will be drawn from the lowerportion of the room through register 38 and iilter 39 and upwardly through duct 4D through the radiator I9, where the air is heated, and then is discharged into the room through screen4 I2.v

The room thermostat 34 is preferably connected in the supply line tothe motor circuit controlled by push button 42l so that when the room temperaturereaches the value corresponding to the thermostat setting the motorcircuit is opened.l This also opens the energizing circuit for the heater 2|, since, as above explained, said energizing circuit is likewise controlled by` thermostat `34,` and may be connected inparallel with the motor circuit controlled by push button 42. Therefore, operation of the heating unit and fan automatically stops when the temperature of the room rises to the desired value.

As shown'in Figure 5, water may be furnished to the heater 2| from a suitable source of supply through a conduit 44V entering duct 40 and vprovided with an external hand valvey 45. The conduit 44 may be provided inside, duct 40 with a suitable pressure-reducingvalve 46.` so that water may be furnished to the heater at only moderate pressure. Valve 45 remains open at all times and needl be closed only for draining thev unit or for repairs.

Figure 5 illustrates merely, one manner of using the self-contained heating andcoolingunit of the present invention. The unit may be installed in various other positions diflerent from that shown in Figure 5. For example, the unit may be installed horizontally instead of vertically, as shown, as in a ceiling, with theradiator I9 disposed vertically, a suitable duct similar to duct 40 being employed to connectthe unit to a register in the wall of the room* below.

Any desiredfluid may beemployed,l as the heat- Number 4 ing medium. Any desired suitable type of fluid heater may be substituted for the electric heater 2I, such as a heater fluid by gas, oil, or other fuel.

While a specific embodiment of a self-contained heating and cooling unit for Ventilating or heating a room or dwelling space has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those Skilled in the art.

Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

VWhat is claimed is:

l.` Ina heating and Ventilating device, a hollow housing having its opposite ends open and an open bottom, a radiator spanning the open bottom of said housing and secured to the adjacent side walls of the latter, means operatively connected to said radiator for providing heat to the latten-means positioned in one of the open ends of said housing and carried by the adjacent side walls of the latter for opening and closing said open end responsive to a cha-nge of pressure within said housing, a screen positioned in the opposite open end of said housing and secured to the adjacent side walls of the latter, a shaft rotatably mounted within said housing at right angles to saidopposite open ends, a plurality of blower vanes vsecured to one end of said shaft, anda reversible motor mounted within said housingY on one of the side walls of the latter and operatively connected to the other end of said shaft.

2. In a heating and Ventilating device, a hollow housing having its opposite ends open and, an open bottom, a radiator spanning the open bottom of said housing and secured to the adjacent sidewalls oi? the latter, means operatively connected to said radiator for providing heat to the latter, a plurality of overlapping louvers positioned within one of the open ends of said housingand operatively mounted to the adjacent side walls of the latter for limited pivotal movement between open and closed positions, said louvers being movable to their open and closed posi-- ltions in response to a change in pressure Within said housing, a screen positioned inthe opposite open end oi said housing and secured to the adjacent side walls of the latter, a shaft rotatably mounted within said housing at right angles to .said opposite open ends, a plurality ofblower varies secured to one end of said Shaft, and a reversible motor mounted Within said housing on lone of the side walls of the latter and operatively connected to the other end ol said shalt.

FRANCIS J. SMITH. WOODROW W. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

`UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,936,875 Hirschman Nov. 28, 1933 1,938,833 Irons, Sr Dec. l2, 1 933 2,008,963 Mack July 23, 1935 2,037,857 Fox s Apr. 21, 1.93.6 2,304,042 Upton Dec. l, 1942 

